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For a brief period, Trump appeared to embrace a strong stance regarding the Ukrainian conflict. After issuing warnings of "significant repercussions" in August should Putin carried on blocking peace talks, the former president ultimately enacted considerable restrictions on the Russian biggest petroleum corporations, these major energy companies. This action seriously affected the Russian leader's capacity to support his aggression in Ukraine.

Yet, with his newly presented 28-point peace plan for the conflict, which was drafted by both nations' diplomats lacking Ukrainian or EU input, Trump has apparently gone back to his favorable to Russia position.

Benefiting Invasion

This proposal would in practice benefit the Russian leader for attacking a sovereign nation while leaving the country's democratic system in danger. Although strong statements that "Ukraine's autonomy will be confirmed", much of the proposal actually weaken that very sovereignty. Seen as a Kremlin dream would certainly be a disaster for Ukraine.

Demonstrating his business experience, Trump persists to treat the Ukrainian conflict as a simple border issue, implying handing Russia a portion of Ukrainian soil will please the president. However, Russia's military campaign is not only about dominating a charred swath of economically weakened land in the Donbas region. Rather, it is about Ukraine's political system – and the Russian leader's apparent intention to weaken it so it ceases to acts as an enticing model for the Russian citizens of the democratic government that his increasing dictatorship denies them.

Land Surrenders

Although freezing in status the already separated Ukrainian provinces of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the plan would force the nation to abandon all of this eastern territory. Beyond favoring Russia with area that its forces have been failed to capture in more than a ten years of conflict, this concession would make Ukraine's defenses severely compromised.

This region is the place of the nation's much-vaunted "defensive line", the entrenched defensive positions that constitute a key impediment to invading forces. Trump would have Ukraine abandon these positions, giving Russian forces a open path to the capital should he subsequently choose to renew the war.

Military Restrictions

Furthermore, in a step that would facilitate additional conflict simpler for Russia, Trump would force Ukraine to reduce the size of its armed forces from their existing large number troops to a limit of 600,000. Importantly, the proposal imposes no similar restrictions on the invading army.

Seemingly as a gesture to Putin's attempts to portray Ukraine's chosen by the people administration as Nazis, the proposal states: "Every radical ideology and practices must be rejected and prohibited." Apparently to highlight this aspect, it requires that "Ukraine will hold democratic votes in three months" of a ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, Trump places no condition that the Russian leader risk his authoritarian rule by conducting votes in Russia.

Security Assurances

To be sure, the plan makes the Russian Federation commit not to "invade bordering nations" and to "incorporate in legislation its position of non-violence towards European nations and the Ukrainian people". Yet considering that Putin has broken comparable treaties in the history – such as the Budapest accord, in which the Russian government committed to recognize Ukraine's borders in exchange for relinquishing its former Soviet nuclear arsenal, and the Minsk accords, in which Russia committed to a ceasefire and a restoration of captured areas in the region to Ukrainian control – how should we have confidence in Putin on this occasion?

That is why the Ukrainian government has been so determined on international security guarantees. While the plan warns of a "decisive unified armed reaction" if Russia renew its aggression, and includes that "The nation will receive strong security guarantees", the details vary from fuzzy to alarming. The plan would not just prevent Ukraine accession to NATO but also preclude member states from stationing troops on the nation's land, effectively blocking the peacekeeping contingent, reportedly commanded by European powers, on which Ukraine had been counting to stop Russia from restoring his diminished forces, restocking, and resuming aggression.

Global Concern

A separate side agreement according to sources would grant the nation with a similar to NATO protection assurance, in which any subsequent "significant, intentional, and continuous military assault" by the Russian Federation on Ukraine "will be treated as an attack threatening the stability and safety of the allied countries." This implies a military response. However in contrast to a powerful national defense – the nation's best deterrent against renewed Russian aggression – the effectiveness of the side agreement would rely on the dedication of Nato leaders, such as Trump, to react with force to Putin's aggression, something they have {not